traidora

Chapter 9

Axis

"So you're telling me," Zaid says, "That she escaped out of a cell with no magic. With wounds that should have killed her. And proceeded to fight and almost beat Axis?"

"Yep." Calli grins, not at all disturbed by the week she spent in a cell. "She's so badass."

"You know she tied them up with her power and managed to escape from the Palace as well?" Darcy says, only making Calli more in awe.

"Can she stay with us?" Calli pleads Zaid but he just folds his arms over his chest, looking away from her.

Zaid said that she almost beat me. But if it weren't for her wounds, I don't think her grip would have loosened when I pushed her back into the wall. If she weren't on the brink of death, she could have killed me.

Because for some reason, I didn't fight like I usually do. And I didn't realise that until Zaid asked if something was wrong. I told him I just wasn't feeling well. That I was so focused on Calli that I got distracted.

But that wasn't true.

I was distracted by someone else.

"Why was she in ropes and not chains?" Zaid asks Calli and she shrugs.

"Not sure. But she totally showed those ropes who was boss." The she turns to me, "And she nearly strangled you with them."

"I'm glad you find joy out of that." I say bluntly.

She's had a shower since we arrived at my place, so her hair is back to its bright blonde, no longer laced with dirt. Her skin is clean and pale, no sign of any bruises or anything that made it look like she was locked away for a week.

Silver on the other hand looks the opposite. Anytime someone went near her, she'd start twitching. Calli tried to wash her face with a cloth but after a few tries of getting close, Zaid eventually told her to stop.

We were going to go back to the Palace, but after telling Calli what happened last time she suggested we go somewhere different. My place was the closest so I offered it up.

We're still waiting for the healer to arrive so Chantelle used her magic to take Silver up the stairs and carry her to my bedroom. She's still unconscious, laying on her stomach, the gaping wounds on her back very, very slowly closing up.

"I'm going to go check on her." I say and Calli nods sadly.

I blame myself for causing her to pass out from pain and Calli knows that. She tried to tell me otherwise, but until I slammed her into the wall she was fighting fine. Calli said she was bound to pass out anyways, either from pain or exhaustion but that didn't make me feel any better.

I leave the room and walk upstairs. I gently twist the handle on the door to my room and her head snaps towards me. Her light blue eyes meet mine and I'm once again unsure if her eyes were ever really silver. But silver eyes would fit her.

She pushes up and her jaw clenches as the wounds on her back move.

"You're just going to make it worse." I tell her as I close the door behind me, "A healers on their way so you should be fine when they come. They'll be able to heal them with ease."

"Won't work." She mumbles, still slightly out of it, but lays back down on my bed anyways, "They're going to scar. The same magic that was on the dagger was on the whip."

Her eyes drift shut again but she keeps talking.

"May as well call and tell the healer not to come," She says, her voice husky from unconsciousness, "I can heal them myself. I just need these ropes off."

"Silver," I say gently, walking towards her to sit on the chair by her head that I usually use for reading, grateful that she doesn't begin twitching, "The ropes aren't on anymore."

I pleaded for Zaid to help take the ropes off. It took a lot of work because whatever spell was on the ropes was strong, but finally that snapped off. She still had the chair legs stuck to them.

Her eyes snap open and she moves to sit up in one quick motion. Her jaw clenches again which I've noticed is her way of stopping herself from making a sound when she's in pain. She moves to the corner of the bed that's pressed against the wall, pretty much moving away from me as much as she can.

Her hands begin to twist together and light forms between them, she mutters some words as the light spreads to her back. She lets out a soft whimper and I don't need to see her back to know that the wounds are closing up.

As her shoulders slump in relief she looks back to me. Her face changes and then I'm flung backwards. I crash into the lamp next to the door that came with the house, the light bulb falling and shattering on the floor beside me.

"What do you want from me?" She snarls, a new ball of light in her fist as she holds her arm up, ready to blast it at me.

"I just want to help!" I tell her, beginning to move to my feet. Her hand reels back and I freeze, staying on the floor.

Suddenly the door slams open and Zaid storms in. Silver blasts her light at him instead but he puts a shield up, blocking it.

Then Calli's there pushing past him.

Silver's gaze falls to her and the light in her hand fades.

"It's okay." Calli tells her, walking towards her slowly.

Silver's eyes are wild but she seems almost calmed by Calli.

"We won't hurt you." She says, turning to look at Zaid with a stern look. He immediately drops the shadow ball he had prepared to throw.

She walks over to Silver, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Why are you sitting on the floor?" Zaid asks me as Calli talks quietly to Silver.

"It's comfortable." I shrug then turn back to Silver.

"She ruined your lamp." Darcy says, raising a brow.

"It was thinking about getting rid of it anyways." I say, "I should be thanking her for making the choice for me."

I turn to look at her again. Her red hair is sticking up at odd angles and there's dry blood throughout it. Calli struggled to get her changed into a clean clothes as she kept fighting it off. But once she got the shirt over her face she relaxed and the shorts went on easy.

That's what Calli said anyways. I didn't watch her change Silver.

"How about I run you a bath and you can relax, then we can talk after?" Calli says and I push off the ground.

"I'll go start it." I say, brushing past Zaid and walking to the bathroom attached to my bedroom.

I turn the tap on, letting the water run warm before putting the plug in.

I open the cupboard and pull out the jar of bath crystals that's been sitting in there for ages. I grab a few handfuls and toss them into the tub. They begin to dissolve and I grab the bottle of bubble bath I have. I squirt some into the stream of water coming from the tap and the bath starts to foam.

I grab the soap, shampoo and conditioner that are on the shelf in my shower and place them on the edge of the bathtub before popping my head out of the bathroom.

"Bath's ready!" 

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Published - 5/4/2024

Word Count - 1289

I reckon we're far enough in for me to ask you who your favourite character so so far.

Mine is definitely Axis or Raelyn but I also love Calli. Once we get further on and things start coming to light about them and other characters I feel like things will change though.

Love always,

Brie <3